http://www.forbes.com/sites/alanaglass/2013/06/17/cadillac-racing-where-luxury-meets-motorsports/

Picture this.

You are offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to ride in a race car driven by motorsports veteran, Andy Pilgrim.

You suit up, put your helmet on, and climb into the car Dukes of Hazard style. The car is roaring and ready to go. But in a matter of minutes a rain storm sets in. Ugh. Now it is too dangerous to ride on a wet track with tires designed for dry conditions. So your trip around the course is reduced to a quick ride from pit lane to the paddock.

Now 15 minutes have passed, and the rain has stopped. But your ride in the race car still is not a go. Alternatively, a ride in the street version of the car is offered to you.

Do you take it? Yes. Are you a little disappointed? Sure. Does it end up being the thrill of a lifetime? Absolutely!

That was my experience at the Pirelli World Challenge Series in Detroit, Michigan when I rode in Cadillac’s 2013 CTS-V Coupe. 120 mph on a wet street race track is not what I expected at all! Who knew Cadillac, a brand known for luxury and comfort, has so much power?

Unless you are a racing aficionado, the Pirelli World Challenge probably is not a motor sports series that is familiar to you. It does not feature racings household names like Patrick, Gordon, or Castroneves. But what the 24 year old series lacks in star power, it makes up in performance.

The Pirelli World Challenge includes top of the line production based cars with four separate classes competition (GT, GTS, Touring Car, and Touring Car B-Spec). These race cars feature the same block and body of the vehicles that you would find on the showroom floor. In other words, there is a direct line from the manufacturer and aftermarket supplier, to the consumer.

Cadillac Racing competed in the series from 2004-2007, and due to the economic downturn it took a brief hiatus. But the racing team returned in 2011 stronger than ever. Since then its drivers Johnny O’Connell and Andy Pilgrim finished one-two in the 2012 GT Driver’s Championship. And Team Cadillac took home the 2012 Pirelli World Challenge Series GT Manufacturer’s Championship on the one-year anniversary of its first victory since rejoining the series.

2013 is shaping up to be another promising year for Team Cadillac. Sales are up 38%, (Cadillac’s best start since 1976) and its racing team is on pace to vie for another championship.

Forbes.com caught up with Cadillac’s Director of Emerging Markets, Jim Vurpillat, at the Cadillac V-Series Challenge in Detroit to talk about the V-Series, motor sports racing, and Cadillac’s quest to be the leading luxury and performance brand. Here are excerpts of our conversation.

On the V-Series and Cadillac Racing

Vurpillat: Our involvement in racing is about proving the performance credentials of the brand. When we started to develop our V-Series brand with our first generation CTS it was about getting our toe in the water, in that high performance category of BMW M and Mercedes-AMG, and proving that Cadillac performance can take on the worlds best.

With the second generation of cars, we just upped the game. The V-Series has been phenomenal for us. We’ve built up a following, and we’ve built up a great owner base. When we first got into it, there were a lot of people surprised. Now, they know we are there, and we have built up a lot of credibility.

On the similarities between Cadillac’s production cars and race cars

Vurpillat: One of the reasons why we got into this form of racing is because it is production based. That body comes right off of our assembly plant in Lansing, Michigan. It starts its life the same way a production car starts its life.

The base engine is the same it is a 6.2L V-8. The one difference is you can buy the production car supercharged. It produces 556 hp. The suspension geometry all has to be the same. Basically, 80% of the race car is production based.

On the economic downturn and its impact on Cadillac Racing

Vurpillat: We knew we were going to take a little hiatus in racing because that was the gap in between the first generation CTS family and the second generation. When we decided to come back, we probably could have come in a year earlier and raced the V-Sedan. But we thought it would be a good idea to race the Coupe. That pushed us into 2011.

The hiatus was the downturn and financial driven. As soon as things started to get better, Mark Reuss said to us “let’s go racing.” We put the race program together in about eight months, which is quick to build a race car, test it, and be out on the track.

On Cadillac’s marketing strategy

Vurpillat: Our series is usually linked with a bigger series, which is usually IndyCar. So we wanted to use that opportunity to engage fans and performance enthusiasts; and educate them about the Cadillac brand. The V- Series is credible and takes a backseat to no one. There is a lot to do at our displays. We talk about the Cadillac V-Series, Cadillac performance, our race program, and get them excited about it. Fans can come in and take ride in one of our simulators.

We have our V production cars there and that gives us the ability to attract fan interest. We take those leads and over a six-eight month period we track conversions to sales. That is how we determine our ROI with our investment on-site. On this program, we are well over a 5:1 ratio on our investment to payback which is phenomenal and off the charts. For us to be out on eight, nine, ten weekends with that commitment and those displays, it is a few million dollars.

On the future of Cadillac Racing

Vurpillat: I see our racing program growing. There is potential for us on a global basis and the possibility to race in some select races in China, Middle East and Europe. We can start to take what we’ve built here in the US as a series, and take that to some of our other markets.

For us being in a production-based series, there is a lot of excitement. The adage of race on Sunday, and sell on Monday is still there. It might not be the Monday after or a month after. It might be a year later. But it gets people excited and talking about it. What is more is engaging than “here is my car, and then here is the car on the track?”

BMW M, Mercedes-AMG, and Audi RS are great machines, and to have us in that consideration set says how far we’ve come as a brand and where we are going to continue to take it. For us it is a very simple strategy, it is about building the performance credentials of the brand. Racing falls under that. Our V-Series falls under that. We want people to think of Cadillac as performance and luxury. This is the beginning of a long journey.

Wonder what it is like behind the wheel of a Cadillac’s CTS-V Coupe? Here’s a lap of Detroit’s Belle Isle 2.3-mile, 13-turn concrete lined island circuit with Johnny O’Connell.

Compuware entries take eighth, ninth spots on GTE Pro grid

LE MANS, France (June 20, 2013) – Qualifying is complete for the 90th anniversary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Corvette Racing firmly entrenched in what is its toughest fight at the world’s greatest endurance race.

The two Compuware Corvette C6.Rs will roll off eighth and ninth in the GTE Pro class at 3 p.m. CET/9 a.m. ET on Saturday following Thursday’s final qualifying sessions. Damp weather early in the first two-hour period hampered the team’s efforts to work toward improvements from Wednesday. The field did enjoy mostly dry running in the final period.

Oliver Gavin took advantage and improved the position and qualifying time for the No. 74 Compuware Corvette to 3:58.644. Antonio Garcia’s 3:59.526 from Wednesday’s session remained the best for the No. 73 Corvette. The pole time was a 3:54.635.

“The Corvette team is focusing on a race setup that will deliver the right combination of performance, handling, fuel economy and durability for this 24-hour race,” said Jim Campbell, U.S. Vice President, Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. “Add to that efficient pit stops, staying out of trouble and a little bit of racing luck, we can position ourselves to be up front in the GTE Pro class in the final laps of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.”

The focus now turns to final preparations for Saturday’s race start when Corvette Racing will go for its eighth class victory in 14 tries. The race will air live on SPEED starting at 8:30 a.m. ET Saturday. SPEED.com will feature live in-car camera videos of both Corvettes as well as a garage camera at stream.speedtv.com/corvette.

Le Mans 24 Hours (all times CET)

• Warm-up: 9-9:45 a.m., Saturday

• Race: 3 p.m. Saturday-3 p.m., Sunday

Le Mans: Watch It!

Saturday, June 22-Sunday, June 23 (all times EDT)

• SPEED: 8:30 a.m-2 p.m., Saturday; 4-7 p.m., Saturday; 7:30 p.m., Saturday-9:30 a.m., Sunday

• SPEED.com: 2-4 p.m., Saturday; 7-7:30 p.m., Saturday

• Corvette 24-Hour Live Stream: 9 a.m. Saturday-9 a.m. Sunday

JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 73 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

“The conditions were quite tricky in the first session since half the track was wet and the other half was dry. I ran on wets just to get my five laps in. I do believe we’ve made some headway in terms of car handling but we’re still down on speed.”

JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 73 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

“I had a good little run, getting my five nighttime laps in to qualify for the race and I’m glad I did that without any mistakes. It was a bit tricky since the whole of the backstretch was wet and we were on slicks. That was my first time really experiencing that part of Le Mans, with the tricky conditions, so I’m glad to have gotten that out of the way and get a feel for the car before the race.”

OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 74 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

“We gained a second, and it will be interesting to see where we picked that up. We’ve been working hard the last day to put together why we are where we are and why we aren’t as competitive as we want to be. Yes, we made some gains. Fundamentally, we still have to find that main reason for the deficit to our competition.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 74 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

“You want to be competitive to run at the front, and we’re not quite there. We’ve improved the car handling-wise. Obviously faster is better than slower, so we’re going in the right direction. We are still working on it to find everything we can to find more speed.”

RICHARD WESTBROOK, NO. 74 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

“We wanted to see how long the wet tire can last in changeable conditions. It started off really wet and dried off quite a bit. So we got some really good data. Michelin is a great partner and it looks like we were able to give them some great feedback. It also was good for me because I’ve been at Corvette Racing for three years and had never driven in the wet! But the main issue is still there, which is straight-line speed.”

DETROIT, (June 20, 2013) – Team Cadillac driver’s Johnny O’Connell and Andy Pilgrim are at the halfway point of the Pirelli World Challenge Series. The duo currently sits second and fourth respectively in the GT driver points, with Cadillac and Audi tied for first in the manufacturer standings seven races into the 14 race schedule.

O’Connell (Flowery Branch, Ga.) is 146 points behind series leader James Sofronas. Pilgrim (Boca Raton, Fla.) is 59 points behind his teammate. O’Connell has had an up and down year, winning two races, the first at Circuit of the America’s (COTA), the second at Detroit. However, a 17th place finish in the second race at COTA and a 20 point penalty for avoidable contact in Detroit has put the defending 2012 Pirelli World Challenge GT Driver Champion back in the points.

Throughout the first seven races, Pilgrim has posted six top-five finishes with two second-place finishes at Long Beach and Detroit. An eighth place in the second race in the Motor City has put the series runner-up in 2012 hungry for points.

The increased competition, especially the presence of several very competitive Audi R8s, has raised the bar significantly in the Pirelli World Challenge GT Series for 2013.

“I think the competition is about what my engineers expected, once they saw what the rules would be,” O’Connell said. “Everyone was 100% certain that the Audi would have advantages, and the same to be said for the Volvo. But you need to give credit to the series for really evaluating data more than they ever have in the past to get the cars on equal footing. Last year we were leading the championship at this point, so I could be little more defensive than aggressive with my approach to a race weekend. Now that we are trailing in points, we need to attack at every event.”

“Penalties are never an easy thing for any sanctioning body to handout. I trust that the same standards will be applied to everyone for the rest of the season. I think we have the team to make up the points, but we’ll need to be spot on perfect for the second half of the season. I feel like I’m driving as well as I ever have in my career. My engineer John Lankes and I are getting better and better at understanding what we need in the car, and the entire team, led by Steve Cole and Mike West, are as focused as ever.”

O’Connell gives his projection on the rest of the season.

“We have done well on the street courses so far this year, and the remaining ones are both circuits I like,” he explained. “I’m really looking forward to Lime Rock. I saw my first race there when I was six years old and since I’ve won there in the Corvette. It would be nice adding a Cadillac victory there.. Sears Point is a circuit that I won at every time we raced there in the Corvette, but I’ve not had the results yet for Cadillac. I’ve always enjoyed Mid-Ohio.”

O’Connell is using the month off to compete for Dale Jr. Motorsports in the No. 5 Chevrolet at Road America in the NASCAR Nationwide Series this weekend.

“It’s busy for me always,” he said. “I’ve been out to Bondurant to work on some things there, and I’ve also tested with Dale Jr. Motorsports to get ready to race for them at Road American in Nationwide, I’m looking forward to being a rookie again this weekend.”

Pilgrim knew the competition in the Pirelli World Challenge Series would be stronger than ever.

“The GT field is strong, exactly where we thought it would be,” Pilgrim said. “The Volvo’s will be very good if they are reliable. We knew the Audi to be a fast GT3 car and it’s been the strongest car out there and still is, even with the extra weight added. It has more aero in the slower and mid speed corners and that allows for very quick transitions. It’s going to be tough to deal with the rest of the season. I think the second half of the schedule will be a very tough fight with Volvo and Audi for manufacturer’s honors. No question we are in a dog fight. Johnny and I will be pushing our Cadillac’s to the maximum. There’s no other option. For my situation in the points, I am disappointed with what happened in the second race at Detroit as it was completely avoidable, but that’s racing sometimes.”

Pilgrim is looking forward to Sears Point.

“Only one of the coming tracks is a favorite of mine and that’s Sears Point,” he continued. “It’s a real drivers track due to the fact you’re never going straight there, which makes it unique. Also, I have never been to Houston so that will be interesting to see another new track this year. I really don’t mind whether a track is natural terrain or not, I just prefer tracks that are fast and we are not at any fast tracks for the rest of the year, but being at any race track is a good day. During my time out of the Cadillac, I’ve been finishing my next DVD, The Parent Driving Zone.”

The Pirelli World Challenge Series will return to action at Lime Rock Park in Connecticut July 4-6.

 http://www.faro.com/en-us/

Lake Mary, FL (June 20, 2013) – FARO Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: FARO), the world’s most trusted source for 3D measurement technology, is proud to sponsor Chevrolet’s Corvette Racing Team, campaigned by Pratt Miller Engineering, as they prepare for the 90th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The most famous endurance race in the world will begin Saturday, June 22nd and conclude on Sunday, June 23rd in Le Mans, France. With 50 competitors from around the world, including Ferrari, Porsche, BMW, Aston Martin and Lotus, the 24 Hours of Le Mans requires a balance of speed, stamina and managing resources such as tires, fuel and brakes. Winning this event is a testimony of cutting edge technology and dedication to developing world class sports cars.

Having won the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans seven times, Pratt Miller’s Corvette C6.R No. 73 & 74 Teams carry the pride of American manufacturing. As one of the most technically advanced sports car ever developed by General Motors, the C6.R race car has dominated Grand Tour Racing in the U.S. and abroad. Pratt Miller’s technology, products and personnel have propelled Corvette Racing to the pinnacle of production-based sports car competition. This year is no different as the Chevy Corvette looks to prevail once again to claim another championship in the 90th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The Corvette Racing Team may don the colors of yellow and black on the race track, but underneath their carbon fiber shell is the work of good old-fashioned red, white and blue American pride that every Corvette fan can be proud of. As a U.S based manufacturer FARO proudly supports the Pratt Miller Corvette Racing Team and their commitment to excellence.

Visit prattmiller.com/lemans to follow the Chevy Corvette Racing Team

About Pratt Miller

Pratt Miller Engineering specializes in advanced vehicle design, modeling and simulation, and low volume manufacturing for the motorsports, defense, automotive, and commercial industries. As a dominant force in professional motorsports, Pratt Miller has been at the forefront of Grand Tour Racing and the American Le Mans Series. As the powerhouse behind Corvette Racing, Pratt Miller has made the American icon a formidable competitor throughout international racing.

About FARO

FARO is the world’s most trusted source for 3D measurement technology. The Company develops and markets computer-aided measurement and imaging devices and software. Technology from FARO permits high-precision 3D measurement, imaging and comparison of parts and compound structures within production and quality assurance processes. The devices are used for inspecting components and assemblies, production planning, documenting large volume spaces or structures in 3D, surveying and construction, as well as for investigation and reconstruction of accident sites or crime scenes.

Worldwide, approximately 15,000 customers are operating more than 30,000 installations of FARO’s systems. The Company’s global headquarters is located in Lake Mary, Fla., its European head office in Stuttgart, Germany and its Asia/Pacific head office in Singapore. FARO has branches in Brazil, Mexico, Germany, United Kingdom, France, Spain, Italy, Poland, Netherlands, India, China, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand and Japan.

Ahead of difficult test in world’s most famous endurance race

LE MANS, France (June 19, 2013) – Members of Corvette Racing met with media at the Circuit des 24 Heures on Wednesday ahead of the first practice and qualifying session for the 90th anniversary running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The race begins at 3 p.m. CET/9 p.m. ET on Saturday.

JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 73 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

With such a deep field in GTE Pro, how many hours into the race do you think you will know exactly where you stand?

“It’s hard to say. You’ll find during the race your strength and weaknesses, along with those for the competition. The way it looks like the race will go with the weather, you will have to be faultless and run to plan. You cannot be distracted by what other teams are doing, especially if they are faster than you. It’s important to say dedicated to what the plan is and stick to that 100 percent. That will be very, very hard even in a dry race because of the competition. But if the weather keeps doing what it is doing, it will be a huge accomplishment to come out with a victory.”

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 73 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

How big a boost is it to come to Le Mans after winning in the ALMS at Laguna Seca?

“It was definitely a good thing to have that victory. Since I joined Corvette Racing, we had won the big races like Sebring and Le Mans. But the win at Laguna gave the team (in the No. 73 car) a big push ahead of Le Mans. We are very confident for the race. It will be a very big battle with all the manufacturers that are here. For sure they are all very well prepared but I think we have shown them before what it takes to win the race. We need to believe and trust in Corvette Racing to do it again.”

JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 73 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

Is it a big difference coming to Le Mans in your second year instead of as a rookie?

“Last year was a big experience with a lot to learn. It’s such a unique event. I didn’t really know what to expect coming in. You get here on Monday and are here throughout the week with appearances, media events and autograph sessions… it is a roller coaster of emotions but you are here to drive a race car. Now this year I know what to expect and have such a great team and crew behind me. I’m very much looking forward to it.”

OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 74 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

This is 12 years at Le Mans with Corvette Racing. How has the event and preparation changed?

“Certainly, year on year the competition has grown stiffer and stiffer. Again this year is another high watermark in our class with five big manufacturers slugging it out in our category. Corvette Racing has raised their game year after year, which is an impressive thing – whether it is in preparation and leading up to the event, preparing the car, laying out pits, practicing pit stops, the routines and schedule… the way the team studies itself and improve year on year is spectacular. It’s hugely impressive and something that gives the drivers a lot of confidence to see that they are on the top of their game. The C6.R is at the end of its life and is at the top of its development curve. We plan to get out there and take on whoever is the best. If it turns out to be us, then great. But we will be fighting to get a victory. Certainly you will have to earn it, without a doubt. There is just so much strength and depth.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 74 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

You were part of the winning trio in 2011 for Corvette Racing. What will it take to get back there this year?

“Every year, the biggest challenge is not making mistakes and staying out of the pits. Ultimately when you look back, the winning team has been the one that hasn’t made mistakes and hasn’t pitted except for driver changes, tires and fuel. This weekend it looks like the weather will play a role, which it typically does at Le Mans. We saw that at the Test Day and got in some wet-weather running. And the GTE Pro class is super, super deep with five strong manufacturers that can all win the race. This whole week has been about preparing in every way possible with little details that will help make any kind of repairs quicker. Our guys have looked at every little aspect that may cause issues for the race, and we’re prepared for anything that comes at us.”

RICHARD WESTBROOK, NO. 74 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

The last time you were in the car was a win at the Sebring 12 Hours. What did that do for the mindset of the team?

“To be honest, we needed that win at Sebring. Olly and Tommy had won the ALMS championship but we had had a poor run in the endurance events. It was important to turn that around. You don’t want to come to a race like Le Mans lacking in confidence. So Sebring did us a world of good. It is great to run with these two (Gavin and Milner). I know what they want from the car, and they know what I want from the car. We want to win this race in the last Le Mans for the C6.R.

DOUG FEHAN, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM MANAGER

What does this race mean to Chevrolet and Corvette Racing?

“First of all, bonjour! We are very pleased to be back. Those of you who have followed us here at the 24 Hours of Le Mans know that this program is representative of the cornerstone of everything we do in racing. Our objective throughout our year is all designed and focused on this event. We realize it is the single most important road race in the world. This is our 14th consecutive year with Corvette and we have been very fortunate to have seven victories – all of which we are most proud. This is a remarkable year because we have three anniversaries that we can celebrate. First and foremost is the 90th anniversary of this great race, and we’re happy to participate. The second is that this is the 60th anniversary of the production of Corvette, and currently we are approaching 2 million Corvettes that are registered and on the roads today. That’s an amazing number. And this will be our 100th race with one of our strategic partners – Michelin. Those three are of extreme importance to us, and we’re proud and pleased to be part of all those significant events.”

The next time Corvette Racing takes to the circuit at Le Mans is 7 p.m. CET/1 p.m. ET today for the final two sessions of qualifying. Corvette Racing will go for its eighth class win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans since 2001 at 3 p.m. CET/9 a.m. ET on Saturday, June 22 with live coverage on SPEED.

Le Mans 24 Hours (all times CET)

• • Practice/qualifying: 4-8 p.m., 10 p.m.-midnight, Wednesday
• • Qualifying: 7-9 p.m., 10 p.m.-midnight, Thursday
• • Warm-up: 9-9:45 a.m., Saturday
• • Race: 3 p.m. Saturday-3 p.m., Sunday

Le Mans: Watch It!

Saturday, June 22-Sunday, June 23 (all times EDT)

• • SPEED: 8:30 a.m-2 p.m., Saturday; 4-7 p.m., Saturday; 7:30 p.m., Saturday-9:30 a.m., Sunday
• • SPEED.com: 2-4 p.m., Saturday; 7-7:30 p.m., Saturday
• • Corvette 24-Hour Live Stream: 9 a.m. Saturday-9 a.m. Sunday

Compuware Corvettes make progress in first qualifying session

LE MANS, France (June 19, 2013) – With an eye toward its eighth class victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans since 2001, Corvette Racing continued to work toward the ideal race setups for the two Compuware Corvette C6.Rs on Wednesday. Both cars ran through a predetermined program on the opening day of track activity for the world’s greatest endurance event.

Antonio Garcia set the team’s fastest time in the No. 73 Compuware Corvette at 3:59.526, good enough for eighth on the provisional grid in GTE Pro. Oliver Gavin was next in the No. 74 Corvette at 3:59.860. But just as during the official Test Day on June 9, much of the focus remained on fine-tuning both cars for the race that begins Saturday.

The strength of the GTE Pro class was evident Wednesday with the top seven cars within 0.915 seconds with provisional pole position at 3:55.658. So there is room for improvement for Thursday’s two final qualifying sessions.

“I don’t think anyone is completely happy with the performance today,” said Doug Fehan, Corvette Racing Program Manager. “The good news is that we turned a significant number of laps compared to our competitors. But on the flip side, our competitors enjoyed an advantage on lap times and speeds. Fortunately we know what it takes to win Le Mans, and that is perseverance and endurance. That is the advantage of having won this race seven times before. Our guys will use that experience and feedback to improve the car for tomorrow’s final qualifying session.”

The Compuware Corvettes return to the track Thursday for a pair of two-hour sessions beginning at 7 p.m. CET/1 p.m. ET.

JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 73 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

“We’ve been trying to get into our testing program, and we’re still a little bit away from the handling and the setup we thought we were going to have at this point. We made some setup changes from the test till now but they didn’t work the way we thought they would. So right now we’re trying to find a good baseline and the work from that. It seems we’re giving a lot of lap time away in Sector 2, which is the Mulsanne straight, maybe upwards of 1.5 to two seconds. So we still have a little bit of work to do. We also ran a little bit in the wet early on, but the conditions were changing rapidly all the time. I’d have an out-lap where there was spray and then the next lap it dried, so I didn’t get a real good feel for the wet lines.”

JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 73 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

“It was my first time being the first one on track here in Le Mans. I had stories about going down the Mulsanne and you get all the dust and dirt from the road cars which have used the road right until a few hours before, so that was a cool experience getting those special feelings everyone has probably gotten for the past 90 years. For me it was also about getting used to the car again, coming straight from America where I had driven the Corvette Daytona Prototype (at Mid-Ohio the weekend prior), readjusting myself to the Corvette C6.R. I did a few longer runs, which meant I had to adapt to the constantly changing track conditions, wet-dry, wet-dry. We’re getting closer to the setup as we go on as I think the car wasn’t ideal for all three drivers to begin with, so we’re dialing it in right now and hope to have a good start to the week.”

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 73 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

“It looks like we’ll have some homework to do between now and tomorrow’s qualifying. The car feels good, but just isn’t fast enough at the moment. I’m confident that by tomorrow night the engineers will have come up with an answer.”

OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 74 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

“When you look at the outright lap time, we’re 3.5 to four seconds off and no one wants that. But we have won at this event when we’ve been off our fastest competitors. We have the best team in the pitlane to do this. We have the most reliable car. We have a great setup. And of course we have won this race many, many times. I have great faith in how we are going to go out and run the race. We have to keep a logical approach, keep our heads about us and work the problem to go through all the variables. We will come up with a solution and a plan for tomorrow.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 74 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

“Certainly, we know we have work to do. It’s not where we want to be. We’re off in every aspect. The car that we had at the test felt good – better than what we have now. We need to figure out how to get it to what we had there. What we had at the test was competitive, but our competitors have gone significantly faster and we’ve stayed the same. We have to explore every single detail about our cars and see if we are missing something. The race is Saturday, not tomorrow. So we still have time to work on it and our guys will do that.”

RICHARD WESTBROOK, NO. 74 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

“It seems like we’ve got a lot on our plate this year. The competition is extremely tough, and the times we are seeing now are quite unbelievable. We seem to be in a division below the other competitors at the moment and we need to get to the bottom of it, quickly. But we’ve got the right guys in the team to do that and pull all the stops out to bring that gap down. The good news is it’s a 24-hour race and normally the fastest car never wins. That said, all is not lost but we’ve definitely got some work to do.”

Le Mans 24 Hours (all times CET)

• • Qualifying: 7-9 p.m., 10 p.m.-midnight, Thursday
• • Warm-up: 9-9:45 a.m., Saturday
• • Race: 3 p.m. Saturday-3 p.m., Sunday

Le Mans: Watch It!

Saturday, June 22-Sunday, June 23 (all times EDT)

• • SPEED: 8:30 a.m-2 p.m., Saturday; 4-7 p.m., Saturday; 7:30 p.m., Saturday-9:30 a.m., Sunday
• • SPEED.com: 2-4 p.m., Saturday; 7-7:30 p.m., Saturday
• • Corvette 24-Hour Live Stream: 9 a.m. Saturday-9 a.m. Sunday

Live streams from Le Mans enhance coverage of 24 Hours

LE MANS, France (June 18, 2013) – Do you want to get inside the action with Corvette Racing at the 24 Hours of Le Mans? You can thanks to Chevrolet and SPEED for the 90th anniversary of the world’s greatest auto race.

Starting with the green flag at 9 a.m. ET/3 p.m. CET on Saturday, fans around the world can watch the race online through the eyes of Corvette Racing at SPEED.com. In-car cameras will run for the full length of the race in both the Compuware Corvette C6.R race cars that will compete in the GTE Pro class. Additionally, SPEED.com will stream a garage cam for the entire 24 hours.

Antonio Garcia, Jan Magnussen and Jordan Taylor drive the No. 73 Compuware Corvette at Le Mans. Oliver Gavin, Tommy Milner and Richard Westbrook pilot the No. 74 Corvette. With seven class victories at Le Mans since 2001, Corvette Racing and Chevrolet rank among the most successful teams and manufacturers to compete at Le Mans in the modern era.

“The 24 Hours of Le Mans is one of the most historic and challenging endurance sports car races in the world,” said Jim Campbell, U.S. Vice President Performance Vehicle and Motorsports. “It’s truly a test. We are proud the Corvette will be competing in the GTE Pro class against the Aston Martin Vantage V8, Ferrari 458 Italia, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR and Viper GTS-R on the 8.47-mile Circuit de la Sarthe. Chevrolet and SPEED are providing a unique opportunity for race fans to ride along in the cockpit of the No. 73 and No. 74 Compuware Corvette C6.R race cars. We’re pleased to give our supporters the ultimate insiders’ look at Corvette Racing’s action at Le Mans.”

The next time Corvette Racing takes to the circuit at Le Mans is 4 p.m. CET/10 a.m. ET on Wednesday, June 19 for free practice and qualifying. Corvette Racing will go for its eighth class win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans since 2001 at 3 p.m. CET/9 a.m. ET on Saturday, June 22 with live coverage on SPEED.

Le Mans 24 Hours (all times CET)

• • Practice/qualifying: 4-8 p.m., 10 p.m.-midnight, Wednesday
• • Qualifying: 7-9 p.m., 10 p.m.-midnight, Thursday
• • Warm-up: 9-9:45 a.m., Saturday
• • Race: 3 p.m. Saturday-3 p.m., Sunday

Le Mans: Watch It!

Saturday, June 22-Sunday, June 23 (all times EDT)

• • SPEED: 8:30 a.m-2 p.m., Saturday; 4-7 p.m., Saturday; 7:30 p.m., Saturday-9:30 a.m., Sunday
• • SPEED.com: 2-4 p.m., Saturday; 7-7:30 p.m., Saturday
• • Corvette 24-Hour Live Stream: 9 a.m. Saturday-9 a.m. Sunday

Team goes for eighth class victory since 2001 at 24 Hours

LE MANS, France (June 17, 2013) – Each year in the middle of June, the road-racing universe turns its eyes to the Sarthe region of France for the world’s most famous endurance event. Corvette Racing is back at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in search of its eighth class victory since 2001.

The two velocity yellow Compuware Corvette C6.R race cars undertook a successful test at Le Mans on Sunday, June 9. Jan Magnussen in the No. 73 Corvette set the team’s best time in of 3:59.491 (127.3 mph) to rank fifth in the GTE Pro class. The top six cars in the class were less than a second apart, a preview of how close and competitive things will be for the June 22-23 race.

Magnussen partners with full-season American Le Mans Series teammate Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor (endurance races). Magnussen and Garcia took a trip to victory lane at Laguna Seca in early May. Meanwhile, in the No. 74 Corvette C6.R, defending ALMS GT champions Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner team with Richard Westbrook for the prestigious race. The trio already scored victory together this season at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring to open the season.

“The test day confirmed what we already knew,” said Mark Kent, Director of Racing – Chevrolet. “This year’s GTE Pro class will be the deepest and most competitive in which we have competed. As always, we welcome the monumental challenge that only Le Mans can provide. Experience has taught us that it takes an exceptionally well-coordinated effort from everyone on our team to succeed. We demonstrated that skill and commitment at both Sebring and Laguna Seca and I am confident our guys can deliver again on the biggest stage here in France.”

Corvette Racing is a seven-time winner at Le Mans having won in 2001-02, 2004-06, 2009 and 2011. This year’s race begins at 3 p.m. CET/9 a.m. ET on Saturday, June 22 with live coverage on SPEED and SPEED.com.

Le Mans 24 Hours (all times CET)

· Practice/qualifying: 4-8 p.m., 10 p.m.-midnight, Wednesday

· Qualifying: 7-9 p.m., 10 p.m.-midnight, Thursday

· Warm-up: 9-9:45 a.m., Saturday

· Race: 3 p.m. Saturday-3 p.m., Sunday

Le Mans: Watch It!

Saturday, June 22-Sunday, June 23 (all times EDT)

· SPEED: 8:30 a.m-2 p.m., Saturday; 4-7 p.m., Saturday; 7:30 p.m., Saturday-9:30 a.m., Sunday

· SPEED.com: 2-4 p.m., Saturday; 7-7:30 p.m., Saturday

· Corvette 24-Hour Live Stream: 9 a.m. Saturday-9 a.m. Sunday

JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 73 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

This is your 10th Le Mans appearance with Corvette Racing. Have the keys to success changed over time?

“My whole year is based around doing well at Le Mans because we are always there with a chance to win. We have three golden rules that Doug Fehan pounds into us every chance he gets: Don’t hit anything, don’t break anything and stay on the track. They are three pretty good rules because it seems like every time we’ve run – apart from one or two – that’s been the case. Obviously the competition is very tough so we have to push. Le Mans is very different now than it was 10 years ago in terms of how you treat the car and approach the race. You can take a little more time when you fight with another GT car as pit stops come into play. But if you gotta go, then you gotta go and take chances. I’ll bet good money that the car that wins isn’t necessarily the fastest car but the one that makes the fewest mistakes.”

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 73 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

Where do you think the main competition will emerge for this race?

“The good thing about GT now is that there is not just one big manufacturer to fight against. Aston Martin looks very strong, just as they did last year. Porsche and Viper have new cars, and Ferrari won the race last year. I hope the No. 74 Corvette will be the other strongest car in the field. We hope to fight with them for a 1-2 finish. I believe Corvette Racing is the most prepared team at Le Mans. We are the main competitors for everyone. But we don’t know where everyone will stand during the race. Most of the teams are running ELMS, some in the FIA WEC. But we will find out soon where everyone will stand. But in my mind, Corvette Racing has the top two cars in the class.”

JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 73 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

What is the biggest challenge of Le Mans?

“Le Mans is definitely a unique place because half of it is race track and the other half is public roads. It’s very spread out so you don’t have to learn where you’re going. It’s a lot of driving in a straight line but when you do get to those corners, they are massively important because they lead on to long straights. The whole week is very busy and you’re not expecting it for a whole event. Driving is almost the last thing you’re thinking about, but when you get in the car you have to switch your head around immediately and be fully focused. But at the end of the day, that is the most important part of the event.”

OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 74 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

“Looking back over the last few years, our car has been good enough to win the race every year. I’m confident we are going to go there with just as much potential. The competition level is higher than ever before. It’s an unbelievably strong year. I feel as always that I feel we have the best team at Corvette Racing and I feel I’ve got the best teammates to execute and win the race. So yes, I’m confident.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 74 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

Is there anything you learned from winning in 2011 that you can apply this year?

“In many ways, you put past experiences behind you. You can’t rely on them to pull you through in a new year. But each race I do, I learn something new. In 2011, the important lesson was that you don’t have to have the fastest car or try and make up that difference if the car isn’t perfect. What mattered the most that year was having a clean race and not making any mistakes. If you can do that, you’ll be there at the end. Obviously you’d love to have the fastest car and that in some ways can make life easier. But that’s not the end game. That is part of Le Mans and what makes it special.”

On being an American driving an American car at such an international race?

“Le Mans for me is the biggest race in the world. Representing a brand, a team and the history that Corvette has at Le Mans is incredible. Being an American driver only adds to that. Whether you’re Jan from Denmark or Oliver from the UK – the fans are so into the car and the sound it makes. All the fans appreciate the race, the history and what makes Corvette special. It’s an honor for our guys to be there and compete every year. Their passion for the race and what we do shines through. For me, it’s special be part of that team.”

RICHARD WESTBROOK, NO. 74 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

“Le Mans is a funny thing. Some people find it incredibly difficult. A lot of people get caught out with a sense of the occasion because Le Mans is Le Mans. But it’s important to treat it like any other track. Things are pretty straightforward until you get to the Porsche Curves. Then things get hairy. You need bags of confidence through there, and if don’t then you’re going to be slow and that’s a lot (of extra time) on the stopwatch. You can never overstate it enough – I don’t come to Le Mans to finish second. I’ve been on the podium but not on the top step. I want to win, and I want to win in a Corvette.”

Ahead of 12th Le Mans start with Corvette Racing

LE MANS, France (June 16, 2013) – Oliver Gavin’s Le Mans career with Corvette Racing reaches the “dandy dozen” level this year when the Englishman makes his 12th start at the 24 Hours of Le Mans on June 22. The four-time winner – who drives the No. 74 Compuware Corvette C6.R with Tommy Milner and Richard Westbrook – discusses the challenge of Le Mans.

Question: How important was the victory at the Sebring 12 Hours in March, and can you take anything from that to Le Mans?

Oliver Gavin: The momentum we gained at Sebring can put us in good stead for Le Mans. I think it’s something that will give us a certain amount of confidence, especially coming off the battles of winning the ALMS championship last year. Tommy and I have really established a very good partnership. We seem to work really well together. Some races, we are right together in terms of lap time and that’s fantastic; it’s happening more and more now. It’s great to see that this partnership is working so well.

Q: What is the secret to Corvette Racing’s success?

OG: It starts with the people at the top – those who are running the program whether it is people like Doug Fehan (program manager), Gary Pratt (team manager) and Doug Louth (engineering manager). They do the basics very, very well. They aren’t trying to overcomplicate things. They know they don’t have to re-engineer the wheel. They aren’t trying to find a silver bullet. They know that to win the 24 Hours, you have to have good pit stops, cars that are strong and reliable, and drivers who can drive them. You have to have momentum going into it where everyone is confident and comfortable with their jobs. That’s the reason Corvette has been so successful. It’s nothing secret.

Q: With all the depth in the GTE Pro class, do you think the strongest competitor may come from within your own team with the No. 73 car?

OG: They have two of the most experienced drivers in the whole field in Antonio (Garcia) and Jan (Magnussen). I’ve never driven with Antonio but I’ve driven with Jan for four years off and on so I know how strong a competitor he is. It’s a huge amount of fun racing with and against him. Antonio is much the same. Whereas Jan can be a bit bullish, feisty and will hound you throughout, Antonio operates a bit under stealth. He is an assassin who creeps up on you, bangs you over the head and passes you. He’s a very clever guy in the car and is calculating all the time in the car. That’s a great thing to have in a 24-hour race – thinking constantly about the long game and not necessarily what’s happening right in front of him at that point. And then Jordan (Taylor) is going from strength to strength. Sure, he’s lacking experience at Le Mans but he’s gaining confidence all the time. He is having great success in GRAND-AM and hopefully he comes to Le Mans full of confidence and ready to go. Jordan is learning all the time and is maturing. He is willing to listen and is great to have on board.

Q: So who do you think presents the biggest challenge at Le Mans?

OG: If I were a betting man, I’d put my money on Aston Martin (being the biggest threat). They’ve loaded everything up into this one year. It’s their 100th anniversary and it’s their opportunity to nail it for a victory at Le Mans. They have great lineups and experience. They were exceptionally fast at Sebring, Silverstone and Spa. For the first couple hours (at Le Mans) in 2012, I was racing against (Stefan) Mucke as I remember racing the Aston Martins in 2005-08. Porsche also have been very smart approaching this year. They aren’t to be underestimated and never show up just to bolster numbers. The real unknown is SRT and Viper. They have been fast in a lot of races. We don’t know whether that big 8-liter motor is going to make a difference. You can’t get away from the fact that Le Mans is all about horsepower. It’s all very new for them. Whether their car is right for 24 hours is the biggest question. Then there is Ferrari who always is right there. The class is incredibly strong. I can’t remember it being as strong as it is right now.”

The next time Corvette Racing takes to the circuit at Le Mans is 4 p.m. CET/10 a.m. ET on Wednesday, June 19 for free practice and qualifying. Corvette Racing will go for its eighth class win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans since 2001 at 3 p.m. CET/9 a.m. ET on Saturday, June 22 with live coverage on SPEED.

Le Mans 24 Hours (all times CET)

• • Practice/qualifying: 4-8 p.m., 10 p.m.-midnight, Wednesday
• • Qualifying: 7-9 p.m., 10 p.m.-midnight, Thursday
• • Warm-up: 9-9:45 a.m., Saturday
• • Race: 3 p.m. Saturday-3 p.m., Sunday

Le Mans: Watch It!

Saturday, June 22-Sunday, June 23 (all times EDT)

• • SPEED: 8:30 a.m-2 p.m., Saturday; 4-7 p.m., Saturday; 7:30 p.m., Saturday-9:30 a.m., Sunday
• • SPEED.com: 2-4 p.m., Saturday; 7-7:30 p.m., Saturday
• • Corvette 24-Hour Live Stream: 9 a.m. Saturday-9 a.m. Sunday

Joao Barbosa and Christian Fittapaldi earn first victory of the season for Action Express Racing

LEXINGTON, Ohio (June 15, 2013) – Joao Barbosa and Christian Fittipaldi teamed to win the Diamond Cellar Classic on the 2.258-mile, 13-turn Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in the No. 5 Action Express Racing Corvette Daytona Protype (DP), giving the team its first victory of the season. The victory is Barbosa’s 11th career GRAND-AM series win and Fittipaldi’s third.

Close behind in second place, giving Team Chevy the top-two positions on the podium, was defending race winner Michael Valiante in the No. 3 8Star Motorsports Corvette DP started by Enzo Potolicchio.

“After an intense battle throughout the race, it was exciting to see the No. 5 Action Express Corvette DP capture their first win of the season, and the No. 3 8Star Motorsports Corvette DP score their first podium since joining Team Chevy,” said Jim Lutz, Chevrolet Racing Program Manager, GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series. “Mid-Ohio is very technical, but our teams were up to the challenge today and added another win to boost Chevrolet’s lead in the important Manufacturers’ Championship battle. Congratulations to both organizations on their tremendous runs today. Now we head to Watkins Glen for the Six Hour Endurance race.”

Max Angelelli and Jordan Taylor finished sixth in the No. 10 Velocity Worldwide Wayne Taylor Racing Corvette DP, managed to retain a one-point lead over Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty, No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Corvette DP, who finished fifth. Action Express Racing’s No. 5 Corvette DP piloted by Brian and Burt Frisselle ended the day in seventh followed by the No. 90 Spirit of Daytona Corvette DP driven by Richard Westbrook and Ricky Taylor in ninth, to give the Bowtie Brigade six of the top-10 finishing positions.

In the Grand Touring (GT) class, Eric Curran driver the No. 31 Marsh Racing Corvette, passed the leader in the closing minutes. However, unavoidable contact was made resulting in a penalty which relegated Curran and co-driver Boris Said to a fourth-place finish. John Edwards and Robin Liddell brought the No. 57 Stevenson Motorsports Camaro GT.R to the finish in 10th place.

The Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge pair of Matt Bell and John Edwards carried the banner for Team Chevy, bringing home a strong third-place podium finish in their No. 9 Stevenson Motorsports Camaro GS.R to round out the weekend.

Next on the GRAND-AM schedule will be June 28-30 at Watkins Glen International, Watkins Glen, New York featuring both the Rolex Sports Car Series and the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge.

POST RACE DRIVER QUOTES:

JOAO BARBOSA, NO. 9 ACTION EXPRESS RACING CORVETTE DAYTONA PROTOTYPE:

WITH ABOUT 35 MINUTES TO GO YOU AND RICHARD WESTBROOK WERE HAVING A GREAT BATTLE. YOU WERE SO PATIENT BECAUSE IT SEEMED LIKE EVERY TIME YOU MADE A MOVE HE WOULD SHUT THE DOOR. WAS IT DIFFICULT FOR YOU TO USE THAT PATIENCE AND NOT JUST MOVE HIM OUT OF THE WAY?

“Obviously GRAND-AM has always been like this really tight competition and really intense. Just I knew I was faster I just had to be careful with the guys that were behind me so I wouldn’t get caught off guard. I was able to manage traffic really well during the whole race. I was able to get the move for the lead. Westbrook made it really difficult, but it was hard, clean racing. I’m really proud the way he drove and I just hope we can continue racing like this in GRAND-AM. It should be awesome to see in the next future races.”

CHRISTIAN FITTIPALDI, NO. 9 ACTION EXPRESS RACING CORVETTE DAYTONA PROTOTYPE:

HOW GOOD WAS THIS RACE CAR TODAY?

“Well it was definitely good, but it was good the whole weekend actually. It didn’t turn out to be good only during the race. We knew we had a strong car in the race. We qualified pretty decent. We were in the top-three. We thought we had a shot at the pole, but unfortunately it didn’t go that way. The race it all connected. As you mention I had a very strong first sting. Joao (Barbosa) just kept it on from there. He did an awesome job and he drove unbelievably well. That is it. We ended up P1. The team really did a great job. The Corvette was awesome the whole day.”

IT’S BEEN AWHILE SINCE YOU’VE BEEN TO VICTORY LANE HERE IN THE ROLEX GRAND-AM SERIES IS IT AS SWEET AS IT ALWAYS WAS?

“Victory Lane is always sweet it doesn’t matter where you are racing, how much time you have been out of Victory Lane. Victory Lane is always Victory Lane.”

MICHAEL VALIANTE, NO. 3 8 STAR MOTORSPORTS CORVETTE DAYTONA PROTOTYPE:

WE KNEW YOU GUYS HAD A TON OF SPEED IN YOU. WE SAW IT IN DETROIT IN THIS CAR, BUT I GUESS WE ARE A LITTLE SURPRISED THAT YOU WERE AS DOMINANT AS YOU WERE TODAY. HOW GOOD WAS THIS RACE CAR THIS AFTERNOON?

“Well first off I have to thank the team. It’s a brand-new car. Enzo (Potolicchio) has done a great job putting this whole program together. It’s just getting better and better each race. We have so much to learn. We hit it just right in the race. Enzo did a great job in his first stint. For me I was able to get a good jump on that middle stint and pull away from the field. We lost a little bit of time on that last stop not sure why and kind of shuffled us back, but we had the pace to win today. I think second right now is like winning for this team because we have been pushing so hard to get on the podium.”

ENZO POTOLICCHIO, NO. 3 8 STAR MOTORSPORTS CORVETTE DAYTONA PROTOTYPE:

YOU HAVE DONE SO MUCH WITH THIS CAR. IN FACT YOU GOT OUT OF THE RACE CAR AND LET SOME OTHER PEOPLE GET IN, GET THE PROGRAM GOING. YOU WERE WORKING ON A TWO CAR TEAM AND THEN THE CAR GOT WRECKED AT DETROIT YOU HAD TO USE THIS BRAND-NEW CAR THIS WEEK. IT’S BEEN A STRESSFUL TIME FOR YOU AS AN OWNER HOW SWEET IS IT TO BE ON THE PODIUM HERE AT MID-OHIO?

“It’s unbelievable what the team did in six days after the big crash we had in Detroit. We hired the right guy (Michael) Valiante for the team. We knew he is quality and the engineer loves him. The feedback is excellent. So we knew he was going to do well here. The car, it’s just a team effort. It’s unbelievable what these guys are doing. We are a new team. We were born in November last year. We promised we were going to be a contender by the end of the season and here we are. This is a show of what these people can do and it’s just a team effort all around. It’s unbelievable. I have to thank Valiante for his podium. It gives everybody more will to go forward and keep on pushing because we want to be one of the top teams and today we showed that we can be one of those.”

ERIC CURRAN, NO. 31 MARSH RACING CORVETTE GT:

TALK ABOUT THE CONTACT AT THE END OF THE RACE:

“Yeah, it was pretty wild. It’s great running with Billy (Auberlen) he does a good job. The Turner guys, Will Turner is a good friend of mine, all those guys are great friends. It’s awesome to battle with those guys. It was just good hard racing and I was better in some place with this Whelen/Team Fox Corvette, but he was better in others. I thought it was all done after those two DP’s (Daytona Prototypes) hit each other in the key hole and I had nowhere to go but to touch the back of them and tore up the nose a little bit. This Whelen/Team Fox Corvette was just awesome all the way through. I love racing hard and I love racing with Billy he is a clean guy. It was my bad for getting into him and spinning him. That is not the way I want to win a race. Feel bad about that, but real happy for Marsh Racing and Teddy (Marsh) and all the guys. That was a good run. I wish it ended a little bit differently. Just happy to be up on the podium, too bad about the penalty.”